Main and after fermentation tank for beer brewery



March 18, 1969 SHO TAKAYANAGI 3,433,148

MAIN AND AFTER FERMENTATION TANK FOR BEER BREWERY Filed Sept. 6, 1966Sheet of 2 'llllilllllf I INVENTOR. 51 /0 721164 A/V/J 6/ United StatesPatent 3,433,148 MAIN AND AFTER FERMENTATION TANK FGR BEER BREWERY ShoTakayanagi, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Asahi Breweries Ltd., Tokyo, JapanFiled Sept. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 577,206 Claims priority, applicationJapan, Sept. 6, 1965,

40/ 72,725 US. Cl. 99-276 Int. Cl. C12f 1/00 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a main and afterfermentation tank for use in the brewing of beer, and more particularlyto a tank structure for the described purpose.

It has been the tendency in the field of beer brewing to increase thecapacities of main fermentation tanks and after fermentation tanks withthe continuous increase in the demand for beer and with the progress inthe design and construction of the equipment in the brewery plants.However, there has been a limit to their capacities, and especially tothe liquid depths in the tanks, due to the problems encountered in theclarification of beer which is effected by the sedimentation of yeastand other coagulated substances such as proteins and hop resin separatedduring the course of fermentation. On the other hand, the beer productmust have a prolonged shelf life. To this end, many attempts and studieshave been made to improve the techniques of clarifying beer in thebrewing process, and the improvement of such techniques have become amore and more important problem.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a tank witha large capacity which can be used for both main and after fermentationof beer during the brewing process.

Another object of the present invention is to accelerate clarificationof batches of beer in the tanks by accelerating the sedimentation ofyeast and other coagulated substances which separate in the beer duringthe main as well as the after fermentation processes.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a main andafter fermentation tank of a large capacity which requires noaccommodating building, or in other words, which is suitable for beingconstructed in the open atmosphere.

In the brewing of beer utilizing the bottom fermentation technique,there is deposited a greater part of the yeast in the bottom portion ofbeer in the tank during the latter period of the main fermentationprocess. At the time of the completion of main fermentation, there isleft, in the batch of young beer in the tank, a yeast only in an amountnecessary for the after fermentation, and the remainder of the yeast isremoved from the tank. However, if the yeast has a strong tendency ofbeing suspended in the liquid or if the liquid in the tank is of aconsiderable depth, there occurs a difiiculty in the collection of yeastby deposition effected due to its own gravity, and the tank requires aspecific yeast separation means. When the liquid in the tank has aconsiderable depth, it is difficult to collect, by deposition orsedimentation, the proteins or the hop resin separating as coagulatedsubstances in the beer during the fermentation process.

In the beer storage tanks, it is important to mature the flavor of thebeer and also to clarify the beer by collecting the yeast and thecoagulations separating therefrom. Insufiiciently clarified beer in thestorage tank not only would lead to an excessive load imposed on thebeer filtering unit, but also often would affect the flavor and theshelf life of the product beer.

On the other hand, the velocity of clarification of the liquid in thetank due to the sedimentation of fine particles in the liquid has aclose relationship to the viscosity of the liquid and also to the sizeand the specific gravity of the particles contained in the liquid. Itwill be readily understood from Stokes Law that this velocity isinfluenced also by the distance covered by the particles while settlingto the bottom.

The present invention has been made as a result of an adroit applicationof such basic knowledge as stated above to the techniques of brewingbeer. The present invention is characterized by the provision of a platehaving either a flat face or a face slightly sloped toward its center,or a plurality of such plates disposed in the form of a plurality ofvertically spaced shelves, for receiving sediments occurring in thebeer, whereby the liquid layer consisting of beer in said tank isdivided into substantially a plurality of layers by virtue of such plateor plates. The inventor has successfully accomplished this object byapplying this invention to a fermentation tank and a beer storage tankhaving a large capacity and having a considerable liquid depth. In spiteof the extremely simplified structure, the tank of the present inventiondisplays a remarkable function and effect, and this will become apparentby reading the following detailed descriptions with reference to theaccompanying drawings which are given simply by way of examples,wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of thetank of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a transversecross-sectional view taken along the line AA inFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal portionof the Water-swivel means;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, longitudinal cross-section view correspondingto FIGURE 1 and disclosing a modification in which the plates aresegmented to drop downwardly;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line VV ofFIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view similar to FIGURE 2 anddisclosing a modification in which the plates are segmented.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the tank which is one embodiment of thepresent invention, is shown in the form of an upright cylindrical tankcomprising an inner sleeve 2 encompassed by a cooling jacket 1, and aheat insulator 4 disposed between the external periphery of the innersleeve and the internal periphery of an outer sleeve 3. Such coolingmeans as the one herein shown in which a cooling medium is circulated isquite useful in case the tank is installed in the open field or if it isinstalled in a room where the temperature is not controlled. However, itis not necessary to provide a cooling means like this if the tank isinstalled in a room which is maintained at a low temperature. The tankmay be constructed so that it has many sides or it may be constructed tohave a horizontally extending cylindrical shape, in addition to saidupright cylindrical shape.

In the interior of the tank proper 5 are disposed a plurality of equallyand vertically spaced plates 6 for receiving sediments in spaced andparallel relationship relative to each other, like shelves, in the spacein the and the changes in the number of yeast suspended in the beer weredetermined, with the following result.

Test zone-location of samplings Control znelocation of samplings P1 P2P3 P4 P5 K1 K2 K1 K4 K5 055. 25.0 25.5 25.5 25.7 25.5 25.0 25.5 25.525.5 25.0 da s-.- 9.0 9.0 9.5 10.5 11.0 10.0 11.5 14.0 14.0 15.2 days.--4.5 4.5 5.5 5.0 6.0 5.5 8.5 10.5 11.5 14.0 days-.- 4.5 4.5 4.5 5.0 5.55.0 8.0 10.0 10.0 12.0

an extent suflicient for preventing the coagulated sub- In the abovetable, P P and K K represtances and yeast particles accumulated on saidplate sent, respectively, the locations of the samplings in the fromfalling out into the beer, and the plates 6 ma be test zone and in thecontrol zone, respectively. P P tapered progressively toward its center.The plates 6 may 15 represent, respectively, the mid portions in thelayers of also be provided with scattered small through-holes 6a, asliquid which are defined by the adjacent plates which seen in FIGURES4-6, for letting the carbon dioxide gas serve as partitions. K Krepresent, respectively, escape therethrough, which is formed and risesupwardly the innermost portion of the liquid, corresponding to from thelower portion of the beer. The size of the plates P P The number of thesuspend yeast is expressed 6 can vary depending on the shape of thefermentation 20 as 10 cells/cm. beer. and storage tank. Preferably, theplates 6 are of a size to The result of the experiment shows that thesedimentacover a substantial area of the cross section of the tank. tionof the yeast is markedly accelerated in the test zone In order tofacilitate the washing away of the particles as compared with thecontrol zone, and also that the accumulated on the plate, it ispreferred to arrange the respective layers of beer are substantiallyuniformly conplates in the cylindrical tank, so that they are rotated to29 ditioned with the test zone. This bespeaks the remarkable cause theaccumulated particles to be thrown off the improvement in the functionand the effect of the tank peripheral edges of the plates, or to arrangeso that each of the present invention. of the plates is divided intoseveral segments to open As has been stated, the tank of the presentinvention downwardly to let the coagulated substances, yeast or n notonly accelerates the sedimentation of the yeast and the like, dropdownwardly as they are washed away. One the coagulated substancesseparating in the beer during embodiment employing such downwardlyopening plates its main and after fermentation stages, therebymaterialis disclosed in FIGURES 4 and 5. FIGURE 6 illustrates izing avery prompt clarification of the beer, but also a further embodimentemploying plates corresponding to permits uniform fermentation of thebeer. Thus, the tank those of FIGURE 2 but which plates are segmented soof the present invention is quite useful when used in the that thesegments can open downwardly. The intervals brewing of beer. between theplates and the number of plates 6 may be The embodiments of theinventionin which an exclusive selected so as to be optimum, dependingon the liquid property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:depth of the tank and on the nature of the beer. 1. A fermentation andstorage apparatus for use in FIGURE 1 shows an example of the tankequipped brewing beer, comprising: with rotatable plates 6. In a tank ofsuch structure, it is an upright tank; possible to completely Wash awaythe particles accumua plurality of substantially equally verticallyspaced, lated on the plates by rotating the plates while pouringsubstantially horizontal, substantially parallel shelves water onto theupper faces of the plates, thereby causing supported in said tank, eachof said shelves being the particles to be thrown away from the plates byvirtue of a generally plate-form configuration and occupyof thecentrifugal force imparted thereto. ing a major portion of the crosssection of said tank,

In the drawings, reference numeral 7 represents a holsaid shelves havingsubstantially parallel upper surlow vertical shaft to which therespective plates are fixed. faces for collecting sediments present insaid beer, Numeral 8 represents a driving means to drive the shaft. saidshelves dividing said tank into a plurality of Numeral 9 represents alever for starting and stopping vertically ofiset zones of generallyequal volume, the driving means. Numeral 10 represents a cover of theeach of said zones being isolated from the others of manhole provided atthe lower portion of the tank 5. said zones except for minor portions ofthe cross Numeral 11 represents a pipe for introducing and dissection ofsaid tank, said upper surfaces being noncharging the beer which isprovided with a valve 12 and outwardly and downwardly inclined wherebythe which communicates with the bottom of the tank 5. sediments areretained thereon, the spaces between Numeral 13 represents a pipe forsupplying a coolant. the surfaces of said shelves being open and unob-Numeral 14 represents a pipe for draining the coolant. structed so thatthe sediments in the zones between Numeral 15 represents a pipe forexhausting formed gas. said shelves are free to settle downwardly ontothe Numeral 16 represents a bearing for the rotary shaft 7. uppersurfaces of the shelves; Numeral 17 represents a water-swivel means forsupplywhereby said shelves collect said sediments by depoing water intothe shaft 7 through a water supply pipe 18. sition at intermediatelevels in said tank so that the Numeral 19 represents a waterintroducing hole provided beer is clarified at an accelerated rate.through the wall of said shaft 7 and within said water- 2. Afermentation and storage apparatus according to swivel means. Numeral 20represents a water discharge claim 1, in which each of said shelves isdivided into hole provided through the wall of said shaft 7 and severalsegments adapted to be opened downwardly. located at a position abovethe respective plates 6. When 3. A fermentation and storage apparatusaccording to a tank having such structure is used as a fermentationclaim 1, in which said shelves are fixed to a rotary shaft tank, it isalso possible to accelerate fermentation by supported centrally insaidtank and rotated by a driving rotating the plates and thereby stirringthe fermenting means disposed outside the upper end of said tank, saidliquid. shelves extending to said shaft so that the central regions Anexample of the present invention will next be deof said zones areisolated from each other. scribed. For comparison, a tank of the presentinvention 4. A fermentation and storage apparatus according to having aliquid depth of 10 meters and equipped with 4 claim 3, in which saidrotary shaft is hollow and is proplates spaced at 2 meters intervals astest zone, and a vided with a plurality of washing nozzles disposedabove conventional tank of the same dimensions without plates the uppersurfaces of said shelves and arranged for disas control zone, were used.Beer was stored in each tank charging washing fluid onto the centralregions of said shelves and thence outwardly toward the peripheries ofsaid shelves.

5. A fermentation and storage apparatus according to claim 4, in whichsaid tank comprises an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve spaced from saidinner sleeve, a cooling jacket surrounding the external periphery ofsaid inner sleeve, a heat insulator sandwiched between said inner sleeveand said outer sleeve, a conduit communicating with the lower end of thetank for introducing and draining beer, and a conduit communicating withthe upper end of the tank for venting gas.

6. A fermentation and storage apparatus according to claim 1, includinga shaft rotatably supported within said tank, said shaft having aplurality of vertically spaced and parallel plates secured thereto andfurther including means for rotatably driving said shaft whereby whensaid tank is used for the fermentation of beer, the rotation of saidshaft will result in the rotation of said plates to cause a stirring ofthe fermenting beer to accelerate the fermenting process.

7. The device defined in claim 1, wherein said shelves have a pluralityof small openings therethrough whereby carbon dioxide gas formed duringfermentation will be permitted to rise through said central region ofsaid tank.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,135,622 11/1938 Nagle 99277.13,071,469 1/1963 Krabbe 99277.1 X

ROBERT W. JENKINS, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

